Pittsburgh’s Travis Snider, right, takes down Milwaukee’s Carlos Gomez during a skirmish between the teams during the third inning Sunday, April 20, 2014. Gomez and Snider were ejected from the game. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

ATLANTA — Getting a dynamic leadoff hitter back in the lineup was not a complete panacea for what ails the Milwaukee Brewers lineup, but manager Ron Roenicke nevertheless was glad to put Carlos Gomez’s name on his lineup card Monday night for the opener of a four-game series against the Braves.

“It certainly helps,” said Roenicke. “If he swings the way he was and has been all year, when we’re trying to scratch for runs anything helps. It’s a great way to start games.”

Gomez missed five consecutive games — three while serving a three-game suspension for his role in a brawl in Pittsburgh, another with lower back spasms and yet another with what he believes was food poisoning.

Gomez was still feeling a bit weak after that ordeal but looked forward to returning to action in the opener of a four-game series against the Braves.

“I’m still weak but at least I ate today,” said Gomez. “Yesterday, I didn’t eat. I’m still in the process of recovery, but it’s still good enough to play today. You don’t have to be 100% to play.”

Gomez said he ate only two items Saturday before becoming ill — a burrito and some eggs. He thinks one or the other made him sick.

“That’s the only thing that I ate,” he said. “After that, I don’t feel good.

“I did a workout in the cage and I feel really good. It was a rough weekend. But we’re still in a good position and I look forward to helping the team. Atlanta is a tough team. Hopefully, I can make a difference.”

A homecoming: Will Smith has had this series circled on his calendar for a long time.

The Brewers’ left-handed reliever had some 300 family members and friends in attendance for the series opener at Turner Field. Smith is from Newnan, Ga., a 30-minute drive from the ballpark.

“It’s kind of cool,” said Smith. “When I was a little kid, I came here a lot. I was a Braves fan. When I first got here, I walked out on the field. That was cool.”

Smith said the last time he was here was for manager Bobby Cox’s last home game against San Francisco on Oct. 10, 2010, when the Braves lost in Game 4 of the NLDS.

“That was the last time I was a fan here,” said Smith. “Now you’ve got to come here and go to work and get your job done.”

Smith certainly had been getting the job done in his first year in the Brewers’ bullpen. In 23 appearances, he has compiled a 0.44 earned run average with 30 strikeouts in 201/3 innings. Opponents are batting .176 against him.

“This is the first thing my family thought of after the trade (from Kansas City),” Smith said of the Brewers’ visit here. “They are all night games, too, so you can catch up with people. It’s nice to have that support and have them be able to come here.

“I’m staying at my parents’ house; get to see my dog; sleep in my own bed. It’s nice.”

Big shoes to fill: Former Brewers centerfielder Darryl Hamilton joined the club to begin his first stint at a fill-in for Hall of Fame radio voice Bob Uecker, who is cutting back his road schedule this season. Hamilton will work with Joe Block for all four games here as well as the upcoming three-game series in Miami.

“I assumed Augie (Jerry Augustine) and Craig (Counsell) already had done a game or two,” said Hamilton, who also works for the MLB Network. “I didn’t realize I’d be the first. They told me and said, ‘Oh, all right, no pressure involved.’

“I’m looking forward to it, but I’m a little in awe right now.”

Hamilton said it helped to know Uecker, a treasure for decades for those who listed to Brewers games on the radio.

“I know that he is pleased with me having this opportunity,” said Hamilton, who played for the Brewers from 1990 to 1995. “If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t be doing this. He gets to sign off, so I’m pleased with that. And I’m excited.”

Hamilton, who has a great sense of humor, said he wasn’t worried about listeners thinking he’s trying to imitate Uecker by cracking jokes on air.

“I’ve learned from doing this that I have to be myself,” said Hamilton. “I can’t be anyone else but myself. If this is how it is with me, it’s going to stay that way.

“Hopefully, I can bring a little sense of humor, especially with the bats being a little quiet lately. Maybe I can go down and talk to the bats right now and wake them up a little bit.”

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